Though again a Pro Bowler, Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson knows he can play better

By Adam Green | January 23, 2015 at 2:00 amUPDATED: January 23, 2015 at 2:00 am

LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. — Sunday afternoon in Glendale, the Arizona Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson will make his fourth appearance in the NFL’s Pro Bowl, and third for his work as a cornerback.

But if you were to poll many fans around the Valley and pundits around the nation, many would probably tell you he does not deserve to be in the game.

By most accounts, Peterson did not have a great 2014, or at least one that is up to his personal standards. According to Pro Football Focus, opponents completed nearly 57 of their pass attempts when targeting him for an average of nearly 14 yards per reception. He allowed eight touchdowns and a QB rating of 97.0.

But here he is, in the Pro Bowl alongside the best the NFL has to offer. Peterson, for his part, said he really never wondered if he would be selected or not.

“I was just controlling what I could control, and that’s playing 60 minutes on each and every Sunday,” he said. “If I happened to get chosen to come here, just like the first three, it’s a pleasure. So it’s always fun to play in the Pro Bowl, definitely looking forward to playing in many more, but hopefully in the next couple years I want to play in the big one.”

Peterson knows playing better would help, and though he said this was not a hard season for him, he acknowledged there were a couple things — like nagging injuries and health issues — that prevented him from having the type of year he was expecting.